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Thought I had to address this topic as it is my biggest headache. When I first decided to start up an online business, I always knew freight would be a major problem! Australia being such a vast country makes freight very expensive. I wanted to keep it as simple and as user friendly as possible. When working with an online store, it is always best to have an inbuilt freight service working in conjunction with the shopping cart. Australia Post is usually the preferred service, but in this case it wasn’t an option as parcels are sorted by machinery. Therefore, have a high risk of breakage resulting in no insurance being offered to cover breakage. I chose to go with Fastway, a national company which offers a man handled door to door service . This works well for most of the country but is calculated by cubic weight often being quite expensive with larger items. I was trying to keep contact to a minimum, and create a self service user friendly system . However, I don’t think this is the best solution. I have now sourced a local courier service situated on the Gold Coast, which offers competitive rates and I recommend getting quotes from this company . I have also included our mobile number for any enquiries and I am more than happy to help with quotes. We do ask that the customer pays for the freight and has all contact with the courier. This company is City2Coast 1300 130 616 , Amanda or Nikita email : nikita@city2coasttransport.com.au For furniture, we suggest : Adam at Mullimbimby Removalists 02 66 842 198 queries@mullimbimbyremovalists.com.au Mark at Need a Courier 0413 320 759 needacourier@iprimus.com.au For any small unbreakable items Australia Post is another option. Please feel free to contact Cynthia on 0412676017 or send an emai cynthia@objectsofinterest.com.au for any quote or queries. Thank you for your time and patience. Regards Cynthia

Sorry I have been a little lacking lately,I did promise to post a recipe very week to inspire our French desires. But this rain has taken precedence over everything and it had dampened my spirits(pardon the pun) We lost a massive tree on our property, the root system is well over 8 metres, it was an amazing tree and the reason I bought the land, I remember saying I could look at that tree for the rest of my life. We had a swing and a huge steel ladder hanging from the tree and all the kids used to climb it . It will be missed by many. Sadly the ground must have got so waterlogged that the tree just popped out of the ground. It went down at 2.30am in the morning and the noise was unbelievable. So now I will have another project to complete to fill in the blank space , maybe a pergola or some type of outdoor area !

How time changes our thoughts and ideas. I am finding I am turning a full circle and still not sure how I feel about where I have landed !

I have always had a passion for antiques and a love for timber and the warm patina that eventuates with age and wear. Every piece of furniture has it’s own history, each piece has it’s own story each mark and blemish is a piece of that story. In my teens I began collecting and restoring antiques. My first piece was a brass and iron bed, I lovingly restored it and sold it , doubling my money ! This was the beginning of my love and fascination of antiques and the beginning of my journey of becoming an avid collector .

In my 20’s and 30’s I bought and sold antique furniture, stripping back layers and layers of paint others had applied over the years. The colours were amazing, chest of drawers would be white , pink, bright glossy enamel green from the 70’s. Table legs were even painted with silver paint! It was an incredible feeling to see these layers removed and finally reveal the original timber and then work it back to it’s original beauty with shellac and waxes. There is nothing more rewarding that to restore a piece of furniture and return it back to it’s original glory.

I am shocked to admit and tell you all that recently I have actually begun to do the unthinkable and am still coming to terms with the guilt that I am feeling even just speaking about it.

I am painting antique furniture !

Chalk paint has become the latest craze and I have succumbed to it Actually, this type of paint has been around for hundreds of years, a form of milk paint was used thousands of years ago to decorate artefacts and later to decorate furniture and homes. Now chalk paint has made a new entry into the market and proving to be very popular. Porters Paints, Mustard Seed and Annie Sloan are to name but a few of the brands around.

The first piece of furniture I decided to paint was the hardest. I literally had to close my eyes, take a deep breath, before I could apply the first coat of paint . I felt I was committing a crime but as the process got under way, my guilt began to subside. Slowly, I began to enjoy the result and at the end, I waxed the finished piece just as I had done when I had stripped all the paint off in previous years.

Funny how time changes our thoughts and no doubt in years to come someone else will remove the paint once again. The Cycle of Life!

I am happy to say I am looking forward to a really great year! I am excited and am feeling really motivated. I have some wonderful items coming and can’t wait to get them onto my website.

I was given a beautiful book for Christmas, “At My French Table” by Jane Webster, a Melbourne woman who moved to France with her husband and 4 children. If you get a chance grab a copy, it is a great read. They buy a run down chateau and make a business of it. I won’t go into too much detail as it will spoil it, if you choose to read it for yourself. This book has inspired me so much !

It got me thinking! Although I have been lucky enough to go to France a few times, not everyone gets the opportunity to travel, but that doesn’t mean we all can’t enjoy the same little treats in life and the French do it so well. They just know how to enjoy good food and everything they do has such style and is done with such ease!

I am going to endeavour to enable all of us to recreate this style, so we can all feel as if we are in France or any where in the world. What’s stopping us to create our own French style here , we have such fabulous weather all year round we can enjoy alfresco dining for most months of the year. With the right props and good food we could be anywhere in the world! We have access to some fantastic local and imported products .

The French enjoy food, they live it, breath it , even their schools provide a hot lunch for the children. Food is the most important part of their day, each meal is to be enjoyed and savoured. Often four courses are served, but each course is small, “quality over quantity” is preferred. Most women indulge in a little of everything but don’t over do it. Alcohol is to enhance a meal not to be over consumed.

As the old saying goes..everything in moderation !

I hope you enjoy my recipes that I will share each week and go to the online store to purchase the products to create the ambience … Bon appetite !

The beautiful spring weather is here, warm days encourage us all to venture into the garden. Whether you’re a gardener or just want find a good spot to read a book and simply enjoy being out in the sun. It’s time to venture out there and enjoy this beautiful weather .

If you enjoy pottering in the garden, Objects of Interest, have something for you. Check out our blue potting bench and great selection of watering cans, some old and some new. Plant some herbs or your favourite flowers in our gorgeous old zinc bath tubs.

We have some fabulous old garden seats and and french garden chairs, keep an eye out for our rattan chairs that are on their way to us now. They are really gorgeous !

PS: As for everyone in Melbourne, you might need to check out our stunning throws, perfect to keep you warm or decorative accessory for the lounge room or bedroom. I was down there last week and wow 12 degree temps in spring is crazy!

Outside dining is the perfect way to entertain your friends, so why not do it in style. At ‘Objects of Interest’ we have collected some unique pieces for the spring/summer season that you wont want to be without.

Our fabulous range of antique French breadboards are perfect for serving your favourite platters. Load them up with with crusty bread, salami and cheese. Add a touch of Europe in your own backyard!

These gorgeous boards are not only beautiful serving platters but they also look great on display in any kitchen.We also have some fabulous baguette boards 1 meter long so you can fill your French rolls with all of your favourite fillings and serve them on these spectacular boards.

If these are a little too rustic for your taste, we have some elegant, white marble and timber cheese boards. These are available in two sizes, a large round and a smaller rectangular, priced to suit your budget.Their design is timeless and will suit all styles for many years to come.

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Add some colour to your table this season. Incorporate coloured accessories or furniture to your alfresco dining. We have sourced some authentic French garden chairs made from timber and iron these not only look great but are amazingly comfortable. With only limited numbers and colours available (red, blue & green and a few white), you will need to get in quick.

After many years of collecting and working in the decorating industry, I am finally venturing into the market with the hope of sharing my passion and hope to bring some treasures your way. I have a love for stone, iron and timber. I love anything with signs of age and a story behind it. I feel unique pieces in a home are an expression of their owners and make a home more personal. We, at Objects of Interest hope you follow us on face book and Instagram and keep a close eye on our store to see our ever changing stock.